The Democratic advocate., 1887-12-10

charged with the responsibility OF legislative
relief, the gravity of our financial situation.
The failure of the Congress heretofore to pro-
vide against the dangers which it was quite
evident the very nature of the difficulty must
necessarily produce, caused a condition of
financial distress and apprehension since your
last adjournment which taxed to the utmost
all the authority and expedients within exc
cutive control and these appear now to be ex-
hausted. If disaster results from the contin-
ued inaction of Congress the responsibility
must rest where it belongs.
Though the situation thus far considered is
fraught with danger which should be fully
realized, and though it presents features of
wrong to the people as well as peril to the
country, it is but result growing out of a
perfectly palpable and apparent cause, con-
stantly reproducing the same alarming cir
cumstances-a congested national treasury
and depleted monetary condition IN the
business of the country. 1t need hardly be
stated that while the present situation de-
mands remedy, we can only be saved from
like predicament in the future by the re-
moval Of its cause.
Our scheme of taxation, by means of which
this needless surplus is taken from the people
and put into the public treasury, consists of a
tariff or duty levied upon importations from
abroad, and internal revenue taxes levied
upon the consumption of tobacco and spirit
ous and malt liquors. 1t must be conceded
that none of the things subjected to internal
revenue taxation are, strictly speaking, neces-
saries; there appears to be no just complaint
of this taxation by the consumers of these
articles, and there seems to be nothing so well
able to bear the burden without hardship to
any portion Of the people.
THE PRESENT TARIFF LAWS.
But our present tariff laws, the vicious,
inequitable, and illogical source of unneces
sary taxation, ought to be at once revised and
amended. These laws, as their primary and
plain effect, raise the price to consumers of
all articles imported and subject to duty, By
/ precisely the sum paid for such duties Thus
the amount of the duty measures the tax paid
by those who purchase for use these i'm
ported articles.
Many of these things, however, are raised
or manufactured in our own country, and the
duties now levied upon foreign goods and
products are called protection to these home
manufacturers, because they render it posi-
Bile for those of our people who are manufac-
turers to make these taxed articles and sell
them for price equal to that demanded for
the imported goods that haye paid customs
duty. So it happens that while comparatively
few use the imported articles, millions of
our people, who never use and never saw any
of the foreign products, purchase and use
things ofthe same kind made in this country,
and pay therefor nearly or quite the same en-
HANGED price which the duty adds to the i'm
ported articles Those who buy imports pay
the duty charged thereon into the public
treasury, but the great majority of our citi-
zens, who buy domestic articles of the same
class pay sum at least approximately equal
to this duty to the home manufacturer. This
reference to the operation of our tariff laws is
| A. H., ,f, hut, or1ar
that we may be constantly reminded of the
manner in which they impose burden upon
those who consume domestic products, as well
as those who consume imported articles, and
thus create tax upon all our people.
1t is not proposed to entirely relieve the
country of this taxation 1t must be extern
sively continued as the source of the govern
ment's income, and in a readjustment of our
tariff the interests of American labor engaged
in manufacture should be carefully consider
ed, as well as the preservation Of our manu-
facturers. 1t may be called protection, or by
any other name, but relief from the hardships
and dangers of our present tariff laws should
be devised with especial precaution against
imperiling the existence of our manufacturing
interests. But this existence should not
mean condition which, without regard to
the public welfare or national exigency.
must always insure the realization ofimmense
profits instead of moderately profitable re-
turns. As the volume and diversity of our
national activities increase, new recruits are
added to those who desire continuation Of
the advantages which they conceive the pres
ent system of tariff taxation directly affords
them. So stubbornly have all efforts to re-
form the present condition been resisted by
those of our fellow-citizens thus engaged that
I they can hardly complain of the suspicion,
entertained to certain extent, that there
| exits an organized combination all along the
line to maintain their advantage.
We are in the midst of centennial celebra-
tions, and with becoming pride we rejoice in
American skill and ingenuity, in American
energy and enterprise, and in the wonderful
natural advantages and resources developed
| by century's national growth. Yet when
an attempt is made to justify scheme which
permits a tax to be laid upon every consumer
in the land for the benefit of our manufactur-
| ers, quite beyond reasonable demand for
governmental regard, it suits the purposes of
advocacy to call our manufactures infant in
dustries, still needing the highest and greatest
degree of favor and fostering care that ban be
wrung from Federal legislation.
1t is also said that the increase in the price
of domestic manufactures resulting from the
present tariff is necessary in order that higher
wages may be paid TO our workingmen en-
what is called the pauper labor of Europe.
All will acknowledge the force ofan argument
which involves the welfare AMI liberal COM
pensation Of our laborng people. Our labor
is honorable in the eyes of every American
citizen, and as it lies at the foundation of our
development and progress it is entitled, with
out affectation or hypocrisy, to the utmost
regard. The standard of our laborers' life
should not be measured by that of any other
country less favored, and they are entitled to
their full share of all our advantages.
ENpLoYMENTs OF THE PEOPLE
By the last census it is made to appear
that of the II, 1892, ,099 of our population en-
gagged in all kinds of industries 1870, ,493 are
employed in agricultural, 4,074, ,2SS in pro-
fessional and personal service, 1884 ,S76 Of
whom are domestic servants and laborers,)
while l,Sl0,256 are employed in trade and
transportation, and 1881, ll2 are classed as
employed in manufacturing and mining.
For present purposes, however, the last
number given should be considerably reduc
ed. Without attempting TO enumerate all, it
will be conceded that there should be deduct
ed from those which it includes 375, ,143 car
penters and joiners, 2S5, 40l milliners, dress
makers, and seamstresses, 172,726 black
smiths, 1873, 1855 tailors and tailoresses, l02,.
Alb masons, 1924 butchers, IL, 300 bakers,
!
uiacturing agricultural implements, amount
ing in the aggregate to 1,2l4,023 leaving
2,623, ,0S9 persons employed in such manufac-
turing industries as are claimed to be bene-
fitted by high tariff.
To these the appeal is made to save their
employment and maintain their wages by re-
sisting change. There should be no dispo-
sition to answer such suggestions by the al
legation that they are in a minority among
these who labor, and therefore should forego
an advantage, in the interest of low prices for
the majority; their compensation, as II may be
affected by the operation of tariff laws, should
at all times be scrupulously kept in view, and
yet with slight reflection they will not over
look the fact that they are consumers with
the rest; that they, too. have their own wants
and those of their families to supply from
their earnings, and that the price of the neces-
saries of life, as well as the amount of their
wages, will regulate the measure of their well
fare and comfort.
But the reduction of taxation demanded
should be so measured as not to necessitate
or justify either the loss of employment by the